Natural gas evaporators

[Slpalmer]

Wondering how many folks are using natural gas? I'm buying a new 3x10 this year. Have been on very expensive oil rig for years. Gas company just put in natural gas main by our sugarhouse. Very few natural gas rigs in this area as most sugarhouses are remote. Wondering what success folks are having with this and what they are finding in terms of real savings? I'm hearing that just because natural gas is 45% the cost of oil per btu, there are some inefficiencies with using natural gas. Wondered what others are finding in terms of real savings? Any thoughts or lessons learned would be appreciated.

[nymapleguy607]

Your probably better off staying with oil, or switching to wood. I use wood myself but I have a producer near me that converted to natural gas. The biggest thing is the amount of pressure needed to work good, you would still need a gun to fire your gas in. The only manufacture that I know of is Reillo.

[Sdave]

There is a town in MI that has a city owned sugar house, they have a gas evaporator about the size of a small bus. The guy I talked t said CDL was the only company interested in building it for them (may have been H2O). Its a neat set-up, they tap the towns trees, all labor is donated. They use the income to fund city projects. Oh yea the town is
Shepheard MI. They can give you some info.
Dave

[GeneralStark]

Wondering how many folks are using natural gas? I'm buying a new 3x10 this year. Have been on very expensive oil rig for years. Gas company just put in natural gas main by our sugarhouse. Very few natural gas rigs in this area as most sugarhouses are remote. Wondering what success folks are having with this and what they are finding in terms of real savings? I'm hearing that just because natural gas is 45% the cost of oil per btu, there are some inefficiencies with using natural gas. Wondered what others are finding in terms of real savings? Any thoughts or lessons learned would be appreciated.

I would contact Daniel (the manager) at CDL in St. Albans and speak with him about your possible options. He has been giving a presentation at different maple schools and open houses comparing different evaporation systems and fuel options, and he claims that natural gas is the cheapest option in the present energy market.

[Daves Maple Farm]

I have a new wood evaporator being built but have considered getting a burner out of older furnace an installing it in fire box area...put a valve on it to control heat and let her rip. We have our own gas as well as tons of trees.

[delivron]

Lapierre has done Natural Gas.
i have done calculations on natural gas and it is real cheap.

[tuckermtn]

I believe that one of the main drawbacks of the NG fueled evaporators is they cost significantly more than other arch designs. Not sure why, but that is what I remember from Daniel LaLanne's presentation.

CDL did one a year or two ago for a guy from PA that had a NG fracking well on his property. think it was a 5 x 18 and it was something like 50 or $60K to build.

[220 maple]

I was told by a NG welltender that it better be in you lease agreement you are going to use the free gas for a commercial sugaring operation! Most lease agreements are for free gas for your dwelling. Just Saying!

Mark 220 Maple

[Daves Maple Farm]

Mark thanks for heads up on gas lease. Thats no problem as its all mine! I have been so blessed when we bought this place almost 40 yrs ago. 128 acres, forest, gas,
good water, coal..all I can say is wow and amen! We arent gonna talk about the taxs!

[pat]

We use Natural gas here in N.E. Ohio. We too own our well. Been at it for 2 years and it seems to work pretty well. We keep the wellhead pressure at about 125 lbs. and we boil all day long. we only have 100 buckets out and I use a Phaneuf 2x4. Hope to expand as time goes on. Pat